The Real Comforts of Old Age
by WJCTheatreChick
Summary: A.J. is all set to retire and raise a family with Meridith, till a single phone call changes life forever - for all of the JAG Family.
1. One February Morning in the JAG Bullpen

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the JAG characters, and promise I will put them back neatly in Donald B's toy box when I am done playing with them. Later on I will add characters of my own, and those are mine, and if you want to play with them, please ask me nicely first. Also, if you would like to post this somewhere, please tell me about it first. WARNING! Character Death in chapter 2! Author's Notes: I tried to start each new speaker off on a new line for ease of reading, hope this helps. Thoughts are in single quotes, Dialogue in Double. 3) This is my first JAG fanfic, so please be nice to me. However, constructive criticism would be welcome. One February Morning in the JAG Bullpen......... February 29, 2004 1145 Romeo JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA. Admiral Chegwidden headed toward the bullpen in a very foul mood. He was supposed to have retired at the end of last week, but the court case the SecNav had especially wanted him to stay and prosecute himself was turning into a three-ring circus. The Navy's computer system had been hacked, and personnel records had been tampered with. The hackers hadn't been smart enough to change anyone else's information, and so it was easy to figure out that the five enlisted personnel whose information had been altered were the people they were looking for. To top it off, they had hacked the system while logged on to a Navy computer on base, which was easily traceable. It should have been an open-and-shut case...unfortunately, one of the enlisted women involved was a spoiled rich daddy's girl, and Daddy refused to believe that his innocent little girl could be involved in such a thing. So he had hired s dream team of lawyers from New York, and got his friend from the TV network to arrange for the trial to be aired on Trial TV. The result: a media circus that was making his head ache more with every passing minute. And now the stupid civilian lawyers had asked for, and gotten, a two hour lunch break. 'There goes getting home to Meredith at a decent hour, he thought. It was bad enough I had to cancel dinner on Valentine's Day, but this is leap year day. It happens much less often than Valentine's, her reaction may be worse. God save me from the wrath of a woman who is three days past her due date! We are never doing this again, if she wants another, we'll adopt! And now with her and Harriet, I can't get away from it....and Commander Brumby is coming back with his pregnant wife...but that will be Mac's problem as the new JAG... I just hope Harriet doesn't go into labor before I leave!' "TINER! Where's the aspirin?" AJ bellowed on his way through the door. "ATTENTION ON DECK!" Tiner quickly said, noting that the Admiral didn't look like he would be too patient if anyone failed to comply quickly enough. Ever since Meredith had gotten pregnant the gale warning had been out far more often than usual. A very pregnant Lt. Harriet Sims-Roberts gently eased herself out of her chair. "OWWWWWW!!!" "What's the matter, Lieutenant?" The Admiral eyed her sharply. "I think the baby was just following military protocol, Sir! She was either saluting you herself or elbowing me to hurry and get up, I'm not sure which." "SHE?" the Admiral, Mac, Harm and Sturgis blurted out simultaneously. Harriet blushed. "I guess that's out of the bag. We've known since the amniocentesis results – it's a girl, and she's perfectly healthy, by the way, but we had decided not to tell anyone yet. You all know my mother - she in particular would start bugging us about baby names, and we wanted to choose something perfect, and take our time doing it." The Admiral smiled. "Thanks, Lt. That's the best news I've had all day. However, you might want to get with Meredith and just make sure you aren't considering the same names. At least I talked her out of giving our two the same..." He stopped short. "Dang, this isn't a morning for keeping secrets, is it?" "TWO?" squealed Harriet, "Twins? How wonderful! And if you're thinking of the same names, and she's thinking of two the same, are you having two girls?" "Yes, identical girls. And she wanted to name them both after my mother. Belle is a pretty name, but she wants to use the middle name. Geraldine. Isn't that the most awful name you've ever heard?" Mac blanched "EWWW." "YUUCCCKK!" was Sturgis' contribution. "UCK!" Coates made a gagging noise. "I just hope I can keep her grounded until the baby gets here. She's been really hard to keep out of trouble, but as she had such a hard time getting pregnant it has made her be more careful ... Harm, as soon as she gets the all clear she wants to go flying again. PLEEEASSEEE don't let her anywhere near the controls! Here I am, getting ready to retire, and becoming a parent again! They say the three comforts of old age are an old wife, an old friend, and an old book. What do I have? A middle-aged and pregnant wife, two newborns on the way, and I certainly won't have time to read!" Just then, the phone on Tiner's desk began to ring... 


	2. Same Afternoon at Bethesda Naval Hospita...

Disclaimer: I don't own Jag or the characters, However, Amelia, Isabelle, Nurse Robley and Jeff are mine.

1202 Romeo

JAG HQ

Falls Church, VA.

The phone rang insistently as Tiner scrambled across the bullpen. 

"JAG HQ, Admiral Chegwidden's Office…" Tiner's face went white. "Admiral, it's Bethesda Naval Hospital. It's about Mrs. Chegwidden. "Do you want to take it in your office, Sir?"

A.J. took the telephone from Tiner. "No, I'll take it here. I daresay you will know soon enough." (Into the phone) "Yes, I see. I'll be right there. Do whatever you have to do." He turned to face the group. " Meredith was in an accident. She was apparently on her way here, and since she had my car, as she couldn't fit behind the wheel of her sports car, they recognized the military plates and took her to Bethesda. A drunk driver, who was going the other way on a one way street, hit her head-on. She's hanging on, but they don't expect her to make it. They're going to do an emergency C-section to try to save the twins. Colonel, you're with me, I don't trust myself to drive right now. Rabb, you're acting JAG until further notice. If any of you cause any trouble, so help me, I will choke you! Got it?"

" Yes,Sir." Came the chorus.

"Admiral?" asked Sturgis tentatively. "Would you like me to call my father and see if he can meet you at the hospital?"

"Yes, please do." He ran out of the bullpen without even grabbing his cover. Mac grabbed both covers, while Harm ran to her office to get her keys. They broke every speed law on the way to Bethesda, and when Mac stopped at the Emergency entrance, he jumped out without closing the door. Mac leaned over and closed it, and then after a few minutes she found a parking spot and went to join A.J. 

1258 Romeo

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Maryland

She found A.J. holding Meredith's hand, talking to Rev. Turner as he bent over to minister to Meredith.

"Why did this happen? God gave us everything, and now he's taking it all away."

"Not everything!" Reverend Turner said sharply. "You two have two beautiful daughters upstairs in the nursery. You just have to hope that everything will turn out all right, and have faith that God knows what he's doing."

A.J. spoke to Mac for the fist time. "Mac, will you go up to the nursery and check on the girls? They're fine, so they're in the regular nursery." Mac started down the corridor to the elevator, just as the little bleeping line on Meredith's monitor went flat. The last sound she heard as the elevator door closed was A.J. telling Meredith he loved her, and trying to find the words to say goodbye. ' It isn't fair,' Mac thought. 'She has spent her life being a daredevil, risking her life so many times. And now, she finally has everything she ever wanted – a home, a family, and her career, and it was all snatched away in an instant…' 

"Goodbye, sweetheart…I love you." A.J. whispered. She was gone, and here he was, a single dad of two newborn girls. 'Guess I'll have to think of names, he thought. He thought back to Rev. Turner's words. 'Faith,' he said to himself. 'Faith and Hope. Middle names. And I think Amelia after my grandmother, and Isabelle after my mother.' He got up, and nodded to the two doctors who were hovering over his shoulder. "I'm going up to the nursery to see my daughters, and then I'll be down to make the funeral arrangements."

1310 Romeo

Bethesda Baby Nursery

He slowly headed towards the maternity ward. Mac was standing at the window, looking at the two tiny girls as they slept. 

"She's gone, Mac," A.J. said softly, just as the nurse popped her head through the door.

"Are you the father of these gorgeous twins who don't have names yet? I'm Nurse Robley, by the way. " 

"Nice to meet you. Their names are Isabelle Hope and Amelia Faith. I just decided that on my way upstairs. I'm going to visit with the girls for a few minutes, and then I have to go make funeral arrangements for their mother. My god, I have no idea how to plan a civilian funeral."

"My son is a funeral director," Nurse Robley said. "If you want, I can call him and ask him to come over here. We can find a small room, and you can make arrangements and get to know your girls at the same time. Is there a minister you can call?"

"He's downstairs, and I'm going to call someone from the office to take notes. Mac, will you go get Rev. Turner, and then call in to HQ? Let them know what is going on; and that the girls are fine, and then ask Coates and Harriet to come over here."

"Of course, Sir. But I could take notes if you need me to…"

"If you did that, who would hold the other baby?" 

Mac grinned and took off down to emergency again. She located Rev. Turner, and then went in search of a pay phone. She explained the situation to Harm, who said he would send Harriet and Coates ASAP. He also said he would have Harriet bring her camera. Mac again headed towards the nursery. On impulse, she stopped by the gift shop, and bought two stuffed crib toys. Back at the nursery, she gave them to Nurse Robley, who put them in the twins' beds. Just then Harriet and Coates entered the hall.

"Look, you two," Mac said. "Aren't they just perfect?"

"They both look like their daddy, that's for sure." Harriet said.

1340 Romeo

A Room At Bethesda

They entered the room Nurse Robley had found for them, stopping to wash their hands at the sink by the door. Harriet and Coates spoke quietly to A.J. Nurse Robley then brought the twins in, and Harriet set up her camera for the twins first pictures. A few minutes later, she took the film out of the camera.

"All done!" she said. "They were such angels!" 

Thank You, Harriet. Now, I have a list of things for you do do. Here's my credit card and a key to the house. Drop off the film, then I need you to go to the house, and choose something for Meredith to be buried in. The twins' birth announcements are there, everything's filled out except for the times, dates, and names. She even had all the envelopes addressed. You can pick out the picture you like the best, and have copies made, one for each announcement. Can you make sure those get filled out and mailed in the next few days?"

"Of course, Sir!"

"Also, there are several boxes of Bubblegum and Chocolate Cigars. Can you take them to the office, and can you pick up some of the real thing? I want to send them to the SecNav."

"Yes, Sir! I'll leave my cell phone on, in case you think of anything else." With that Harriet scurried out the door (not easy to do in her condition), nearly colliding with a handsome young man in the process.

"Jefferson! Watch where you're going!" Nurse Robley scolded.

"Yes, Mom! Sorry, Ma'am!"

"Everyone, this is my son, Jeff."


	3. Meredith's Will and the Saga of Harmful ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Jag or the characters, However, Amelia, Isabelle, Nurse Robley and Jeff are mine.

1445 Romeo

Bethesda Naval Hospital

A.J. called to check on Harriet, who said she was having some back pain and needed to rest for awhile, so she was propped up on the conference room couch writing birth announcements. He asked her to send Tiner over with some food and Meredith's will, which was in the Colonel's office since she had redone both their wills for them after the wedding. That part done, he turned his attention to the twins, who had just been brought back into the room after having a nap and a diaper change. Nurse Robley handed him a baby and a bottle, and did the same to Mac. They were just finishing up when Tiner showed up with food and Meredith's will file. A.J. had figured that Meredith, being the kind of person she was, wouldn't want an exactly conventional burial, but nothing prepared him for what he found.

"She wants WHAT!!!!!????? " A.J. exploded in disbelief, "Can you even do that? She wants…"

"…to be made into a diamond, sir." Mac smiled. "Yes, it's possible. It's new, and it's a fad right now. Before she discovered this, I talked her out of cryogenic freezing, mummification and also burial at sea. I convinced her it would be too hard for anyone to visit. And her original choice was to be cremated and have her ashes scattered over Shakespeare's grave. But they wouldn't let her do that."

"Well, if this is what she wanted, this is what she gets, no matter how crazy I think it is." He turned around to Jeff. "Can you make arrangements for this, or how do I do it?"

"Yes, I can make the arrangements. The only thing I need to know first is whether you want one large diamond or a few smaller ones, and if you want the diamonds in a setting. While you make that decision, I'll go make the phone call and get her moved." With that he nodded and exited the room. 

"While he does that, lets make plans for a memorial service. It says all the plans are here, and also on file at the Shakespeare Club. Lt. Singer's memorial service is Wednesday – I can't believe it took them five months to release her for burial – and in all that time they still haven't found any family – but I digress… - so let's see if we can get the Shakespeare Club Friday night. Mac, can you see about that?"

Mac handed Amelia off to Rev. Turner, and went to make the call. Now, back to what to do with Meredith. I don't want to put her in a safety deposit box or anything…"

"If I may make a suggestion, I have an idea…" Reverend Turner spoke up for the first time.

"Of course, any suggestion is welcome," A.J. replied"

"Choose the two smaller diamonds, and have them put in pendant settings, one for each of the twins."

"That's a great idea, I'll do that." Just then Jeff returned, and A.J. told him of his decision.

"That's fine, I'll go fill out the paperwork. Can I take Jen with me, and then I'll send the paperwork back with her? I have a meeting of the FDA in an hour.

"FDA? What's that?" Mac queried.

"Funeral Directors Association," Jeff said. He and Jen got up, and she passed Belle over to her daddy. 

"I'll see you in a little while, Sir. Do you need me to pick anything up before I come back?"

"No, we'll be fine. I think we have everything done."

" One more thing, Mac said on her way back into the room. We have to put her obit in the paper, she wrote it already – it's in the file. All we have to do is edit it to include the girls. And Friday night is fine for the Shakespeare Club. They will call all the people she had listed, and arrange for flowers. All we have to do is call the people she wanted to do things during the service, and three of us are right here."

" We can look at that right now. But let's do the obit first and we can fax it in so

we can get it into tomorrow's paper." Just then the phone in the small room rang again, waking both twins, who started to scream. Nurse Robley took them back into to the nursery while A.J. took the call. Mac and rev. Turner watched his face get redder and redder, as if he was trying really hard not to laugh. " Tell Rabb to get the right ones over there ASAP!" he thundered. " I'll be the laughingstock of the entire NAVY if this gets out!" He listened to Rabb a minute, blanched, and then said. "Fix it, and keep an eye on Harriet. Tiner said she's been having back pain this morning." He hung up and turned to Mac and rev. Turner.

" Harriet did exactly as I asked, and took all the different cigars to the office. Harm, however, sent the wrong one to the SecNav. To make matters worse, he was meetign with the president when they arrived. He offered the president one, and went to get a lighter. When he returned, President Bush was blowing bubbles! Sheffield, however, wasn't amused. He'll never let me retire now!" The entire group dissolved into giggles at the thought anyhow.

"And then there's the other problem. Last week I gave Harm the information to arrange housing vouchers for the Brumbys. He apparently lost them. Meanwhile, They will be her tomorrow, and the next opening for an apartment in this city is in two weeks! Because of the big convention, there's not a hotel room in town, and the VOQ is packed. There's not even any on base housing at Norfolk. If Harm even had one bedroom, I'd have then there and him on the couch. I'm in that tiny apartment, because the house Meredith and I were building isn't done yet. The Roberts are going to have a baby any day, and Sturgis's apartment is smaller that a submarine bunk space. I'm sorry to do this to you Mac, but they need to stay with you, at least for a few days." 


	4. Bugme, the Breaking Point and Harriet th...

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the JAG characters, and promise I will put them back neatly in Donald B's toy box when I am done playing with them. Later on I will add characters of my own, and those are mine, and if you want to play with them, please ask me nicely first. Also, if you would like to post this somewhere, please tell me about it first.

WARNING! Character Death in chapter 2!

Author's Notes:

I tried to start each new speaker off on a new line for ease of reading, hope this helps. Thoughts are in single quotes, Dialogue in Double. 

3) This is my first JAG fanfic, so please be nice to me. However, constructive criticism would be welcome. 

1800 Romeo

Bethesda Maternity Ward

"What time are they going to be here tomorrow, Sir? Mac asked -  resigned to the fact that she was going to have to suck it up and ignore any issues she had with Brumby. They hadn't had any contact since the day Brumby boarded the flight back to Australia after canceling the wedding.

"They'll be here about 1145, oh, and so we'd better make reservations for them for Friday night when we call the club back with the final details… I'm really thankful you're being so calm about this, Mac. I will find a way to make this up to you, some of it at the expense of Harmful Rabb – he is now the proud owner of all your paperwork for the next two months. If we hadn't already sold the house, I'd just give them the keys. I knew a week ago that they needed a place, and in that time, zilch. I even tried basing him out of Norfolk for two weeks, since they are also understaffed, but there is literally no room for them in Military housing anywhere within a tri state area. Anacostia's full, the guest house at the Academy is full… and the only thing they had for him to do for two weeks is assist the Commander of the Midshipmen anyway…in short, this was the only choice." A.J. realized he was rambling and stopped short.

Mac smiled. "We'll manage, Sir. I just hope Mrs. Brumby doesn't deliver until they have a place of their own. That apartment will be ok with five of us, and that's with Brumby's stepkids on the couch. A sixth is not going to fit very well. Plus when Harriet has the baby I'll have Little A.J. there too.  'I am really going to get Harm for this! Ever since he broke up with his latest fling, he has paid zero attention to his work, and I have been left to cover for him. It's been 5 months now! Why is this eating him so bad? He won't talk to me. Maybe the Admiral will make him see someone now that he know just how bad things are. I should have confided in him ages ago instead of covering up for his mistakes.' She became vaguely aware the Admiral was speaking. "Sorry Sir. I didn't mean to zone out on you."

AJ looked at her with weary, sad eyes. "I understand, Mac…" the rest of the sentence was cut off by the ringing of the phone. AJ nodded to Mac to pick it up.

Lifting the receiver, Mac's expression turned to stone. "Hello, Harm," she said frostily. "If you've managed to get us all transferred due to your recent inability to do your job, I don't wanna know about it! What now?" 

"What have I done now, Mac?" Harm whined. "The cigars were an honest mistake, which Harriet I s correcting on her way to the doctor's, by the way. And I'm sure they'll make some temporary arrangement for the Brumby's…."

"Yeah, my spare bedroom." Mac replied glumly.

"WOO-HOO THIS is gonna be INTERESTING!!!" Harm laughed.

"One more word, Harmon, and I'm taking your place and you share my apartment with Brumby, his wife anf her two teenagers. And while you are one the subject, PLEASE try to be civil when he gets here! Good-bye, Harm… Unless you want to actually discuss why you called?"

"I just wanted to know if you needed anything."

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. I'm going to be busy helping the admiral with the twins tonight, and the Brumby's will be here in the morning, so can you go over to my place and clean it up a little? Make sure to put that picture of Mic and me at the Surface Warfare Ball away somewhere… Also make sure the fridge has some edible stuff in it. And when you go to the sort, get some pregnancy stuff, like pickles, ice cream, olives, you remember what Harriet's been eating…stuff like that. Most everything can just be picked up and vacuumed, but the bathroom is going to require some scrubbing."

"Don't' worry, Mac, I'll take care of it. I find cleaning therapeutic when I'm miserable, and I can only clean my little apartment so much… AJ took the other end of the phone from Mac. "Commander, my charge card is in the drawer. Go Shopping, clean the house and buy some things to make the Brumbys comfortable. And go to the Organized Living store and get some extra storage for under the beds, cabinets, etc. Take tomorrow morning too, if you need it. And if you screw this up, your next duty post will be someplace you really don't want to be!"

A.J. hung up the phone and turned to Mac and Jen. "Do you have any plans tonight? If not, I really don't want to be alone right now. I've managed to hold it together for appearances sake, but I'm going to fall apart the minute I'm alone, I know it. And the last time I did that, I got so wasted, I had no memory of where I was or how I got there. A widow lady who lived close to base found me on her lawn, took me in and put me to bed. Just the memory of that and what she did to me the next morning makes me scared of ever doing something like that again. Maybe you could help me put the crib together? We were saving that till she delivered since there's no room in the apartment…we were going to do it together…" He faltered, and in that split second, there was a knock on the door and Bud Roberts poked his head in.

"Hello, Sir, he said quietly. "How's Meredith? Is the baby ok? I'm supposed to meet Harriet for her appointment, so I thought I'd stop in." Mac began to signal frantically from behind A.J.'s back. 'Shut up. Bud!' she thought.

A.J. turned to face Bud. "The babies are fine. Meredith…"He finally broke and began to sob. "Meredith didn't make it."

'"Oh, Sir, I'm so sorry." Bud immediately went to A.J. and led him to a chair, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and handing it to him. A.J. crumpled completely then, and Bud comforted him the way A.J. had done for him when baby Sarah died. Mac and Jen tiptoed out of the room. They met Nurse Robley in the hallway. 

"Do you want to come downstairs with me? We've got a mother in labor coming in, and she's going to deliver before she gets here. I'm going to need someone to help me track down her husband." By this time they were approaching the ER, just as the Ambulance doors burst open. Out of the side door of the Ambulance, two figures emerged. An ER tech and…the SECNAV???? 'Uh-OH" Mac thought.

The Tech opened the back door and a gurney was lifted out, on which reposed a strangely thin Harriet Roberts. "Mac!" she squealed. "She's here!" The other medic followed Harriet, and presented Mac with a bundle wrapped in silver-heat blankets. "Mac, this is Eleanor Loren Roberts, Ellie for short."

The SecNav cleared his throat. "I'll go find A.J. while you look after Harriet. Stay with her, Colonel. That's an order."

"Yes, Sir!, and Harriet's husband is with him." She then gave him directions on where to find A.J. and Bud.

Sheffield found the lounge with no trouble. "Mr. Roberts, go meet your wife and daughter downstairs, please."

Bud's eyes grew wide and he bolted out the door, completely forgetting military protocol.

The SecNav chuckled. "Hell, A.J. She did it again. She took the cigars in, and her water broke on the president's rug, right in the middle of the oval office! I had heard what happened with the first one, but she was even quicker this time. The ambulance workers got there in time to see the president deliver her. Naming her after my wife and Lt. Singer was nice gesture, I thought. She named her Eleanor Loren. But I have never seen or heard of a woman delivering so fast."

A.J. truly smiled for the first time that day. 'That's our Harriet, always the overachiever."


	5. Babies, Harm's Cleaning Service, Kamikaz...

A/N this was written in a hurry, I will fix errors later. School is keeping me insanely busy, so I am updating when I can.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the JAG characters, and promise I will put them back neatly in Donald B's toy box when I am done playing with them. Later on I will add characters of my own, and those are mine, and if you want to play with them, please ask me nicely first. Also, if you would like to post this somewhere, please tell me about it first.

WARNING! Character Death in chapter 2!

Author's Notes:

I tried to start each new speaker off on a new line for ease of reading, hope this helps. Thoughts are in single quotes, Dialogue in Double. 

3) This is my first JAG fanfic, so please be nice to me. However, constructive criticism would be welcome. 

2100 Romeo

Bethesda Maternity Ward

Harriet Roberts was curled up on her hospital bed, contentedly nursing her new daughter. On the next bed (a spare, Harriet didn't have a roomie yet), Sarah Mackenzie was bottle feeding Belle Chegwidden. Amelia was currently snuggled in the arms of her father, who was sitting in the cold plastic visitor's chair. 

They sat in comfort for a few minutes until Jeff Robley popped his head around the door, followed by his mother carrying a few fresh burp cloths. She laid one over Mac's shoulder, then handed one to Bud. Jeff was the first to speak "All the arrangements are taken care of for Meredith, Admiral. She should be back in about a week. The jeweler needs you to come in and pick out the settings, they use local, so here's the information on the closest place. The'll come in to the home and get her. I know this sounds like an insensitive question, but would you like to pick her up, or have her delivered by UPS?"

"I'll pick her up. Knowing her, she'd find a way to get lost in the mail!" AJ said softly. He then conferred with Nurse Robley, ending with "I'll be back first thing in the morning." With this he handed Amelia to her, kissing her on the forehead. Then he tried to do the same to Belle, but she moved her head, and he found himself kissing Mac's neck. "Hey, you, stay put a minute! Sorry, Mac. I want to see what Harmful Rabb has done to your Apartment in our absence, and then I'm going to get a hotel room. I can't face that empty apartment tonight. Jen, do you want me to drop you off?"

"I'll take her." Jeff spoke up quickly, with a look at Jen that made her blush. They exited the room, and the others said their goodnights. Mac and AJ got in her car, and drove to her apartment, each lost in their own thoughts.

2245 Romeo

Mac's Apartment 

"The Lights are on. Looks like Harm's still here. Let's go see how he's progressing, shall we?" AJ took Mac's arm, and they walked up the steps to her apartment. When Mac opened the door, she was met with the funniest thing she had seen all day: Harmon Rabb, in the pink frilly apron Mac's grandmother had made her, washing the dishes in the sink with her bottle of Joy in his had. It had on a similar apron, made by Harriet. One of Mac's cats, Kamikaze, (named by Harm after she dive bombed him from the bookcase) was sitting on the windowsill.   

"Nice apron, Commander. I'll just have a look around" AJ quickly perused the living room, and then checked under Mac's bed to make sure the requested storage had been purchased and installed. He was greeted with a startled hiss. "Sorry, Kit." Little AJ had named her Kit Kat, as she was a cat (obviously) and his Auntie Mac had just gotten him a Kit Kat bar when they found her on their walk. "Harm, where's the storage?"

"Behind the couch, Sir. I didn't want to seriously invade her privacy without asking, so I figured I'd let her clean under there first. Same with the closet. But everything else is done, and Mother Hubbard's cupboard is no longer bare. She didn't even have any COFFEE I don't know hos she survived without it!"

"I've been stopping at Starbucks the last few mornings." Mac admitted. Just then the dryer beeped from its tiny closet.

"Well, go clean under your bed and in the closet. I'll foled your laundry and help Harm out here. I also want to have a talk with him." AJ headed towards the Dryer just as it finished the fourth cycle of beeps. "Sit down, Commander."

"Yes, Sir." Harm gulped audibly.

"I noticed there was no baby stuff. I specifically asked for baby stuff! Why didn't you get any."

Harm looked at his hands. " I couldn't do it, It hurts too much. You see, sir, I should be having my first child just about now too. But the latest girlfriend decided she didn't want a child. So she got rid of it. She made sure I knew it was the daughter I wanted, though. I haven't seen her in seven months, and to top it off she took my credit cards and cleaned out my bank account. Then last week, she calls, or rather, her lawyer called. She wants money for "pain and suffering!" I have an appointment with her lawyer next week. I was going to ask you or Mac to represent me, but now…" He broke down in tears, his face in his hands. "It's just not fair. Meredith loved those babies so much, and she will never know them. I wanted my little girl, and I'll sever get to know her… That's why I didn't come to the hospital today. I was afraid of breaking down in front of you. That's not what you needed today." 

"Harm, why didn't you say something! Mac!"

Mac came rushing out of her bedroom, and AJ quickly filled her in. She immediately enveloped Harm in a hug. AJ finished with, Mac, would you and Harriet mind watching the girls, so I can represent Harm at this meeting? I'll send Jen or Imes with you. Imes needs the practice anyway."

"Of course we will. We can take Harriet lunch, since she won't be able to drive. After a few days at home, she'll probably welcome a break." Mac went and finished her closet and under the bed. Kit, dislodged from her place under the bed, came and jumped into AJ's lap, and he absentmindedly stroked her ears.  

Mac finished her room, and put the laundry AJ had folded for her away. Then she sat on the couch to think, while Harm and AJ installed her new storage system. That would leave then small guestroom closet for all four Brumbys to share. 

'I can't believe he's kept all this inside. No wonder he's been making mistakes!' Mac thought. 'We'll work something out somehow. And I wont' complain about the Brumbys, no matter how stressful it gets.' She got up to make up the guest bed, and then made up the sofa as it was very late. 'They can flip for the bed.' She then went to the stove and made hot cocoa, thankful that Harm had bought 2 gallons of milk. "Come and get it!"

They sat and talked while they sipped their cocoa, and then AJ went to the guest room. Mac gave Harm a hug, sat next to him until he was asleep, and then turned out the lights on her way to bed. 


	6. Changes, Babysitting, The Arrival of the...

The Next Morning

0700 Romeo

Mac's Apartment

Harm awoke to find Mac at the counter pouring a cup of coffee. This seemed normal enough, but then she cracked open the guestroom door and returned to her coffee. Then she carried the coffee pot up and down the hall. Returning to the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out milk, eggs, butter and bacon. She got out a mixing bowl and started making pancakes. Once done, she carried the bacon up and down the hall as she had the coffee.  

"Mac, what on earth are you doing?" Harm questioned. Mac jumped, not having realized he was awake and watching her.

"Waking the Admiral," she replied. "He didn't eat anything yesterday, so he will be starving. My mother used to wake me this way... it's much nicer than an alarm clock." Sure enough, AJ poked his head out of the guestroom door, sniffing the air. 

They all sat down at the breakfast table, joining their hands in a quick prayer. Then AJ spoke. "Mac, I was thinking before I went to sleep last night. I can't parent these twins alone. I need help. Would you consider moving somewhere closer to the new house? I'd pay for any expenses, etc. And we could turn the lease over to Sturgis and Bobbie, so they don't have to spend the first year of marriage living apart until they can find something convenient to the Hill. She's always said she'd like to live here... Please tell me if I am completely out of line, but I don't want to turn these babies over to strangers. If you lived closer, we could have meetings at the house. I'm going to shut up now and let you get a word in."

"No, I don't mind moving, yes I'll help with the girls, and I think giving the apartment to Sturgis is a great idea. Speaking of which, I need to call his father back." With this she got up from the table and moved to the phone, returning a few minutes later." Ok, he agreed to read the scripture Meredith requested, which only leaves Bud. She wants him to read the Hamlet Soliloquy he read for the arts festival." 

"Thanks for taking care of all of the arrangements, Mac."

"You're welcome, it was the least I could do for you. You have always been there when I needed you, now it is my turn to return the favor."

After breakfast Harm installed the storage for under the guestroom bed, once again dislodging the cats, and changed the sheets while Mac and AJ went baby shopping. Then all three of them made a visit to the hospital. 

1100 Romeo

Bethesda Maternity Ward

Bethesda, MD

Harm looked about ready to bolt from the hospital, so AJ laid a steadying hand on his arm and led him to the nursery window. "Cute, aren't they?"

"Absolutely." Harm replied. "Which one is Harriet's little girl?" 

AJ pointed out a small pink-capped head on the left of the row of bassinets right behind the twins. She had her face screwed up tight, and a second later she let loose an ear-piercing wail that could be clearly heard through the window glass. Nurse Robley beckoned them over to the door. She deftly pushed all three bassinets out into the hall before they could wake the others, and then returned to the nursery to puck some bottles out of the warmer, grabbing some burp cloths on her way out the door.  Then the procession headed to Harriet's room.

Once there, Ellie was handed off to Harriet to nurse. AJ took Belle, and Nurse Robley plunked Amelia into Harm's arms. She then handed him a bottle. Imitating AJ, he awkwardly fed her. When he burped her, she took care of business and then settled into the softness of Harm's navy blue sweater. All three babies slept for awhile. Mac slipped out of the room, returning with a stack of diapers, wipes and cream. Right on cue, Harm noticed that the diaper under the hand that was supporting her bottom seemed heavier and warmer. He changed her and then she snuggled back to sleep.

About an hour later, there was a knock on the edge of the doorframe, and they looked up to see Mic Brumby smiling at them. "I stopped by JAG, and they told me where to find you. I'm sorry about your wife, Admiral. But let's have a look at these gorgeous girls. Harriet, Bud sent your camera and a bag of real food."

"Thanks," Harriet smiled gratefully. Mic looked at the babies and then the men left Mac with Harriet and the babies while they set up the cribs for the twins in the tiny little apartment. then they went to Mac's and unpacked their stuff, leaving the crib in its box for now. AJ then went in to JAG HQ, where Mic had stashed the rest of his family for the afternoon. 

Mic found his stepdaughter Becky in deep conversation with her mother, Jen Coates and Bobbie Latham. Chinese food boxes covered the desk, and AJ stole a Crab Rangoon from the pile. Jen smiled indulgently. We weren't sure if you would come in at all, sit, so there are boxes for you and the Colonel in the break room. I was going to bring them by later so you didn't have to cook. Or, the guys are in the conference room having pizza."

The next few days they established a routine. They converted the conference room into a nursery, with a corner for Mrs. Brumby. Now that she was so close to her due date she wasn't allowed to be left alone. Mac and Harm switched off days as acting JAG, while AJ wrapped up his case and prepared to represent Harm the following week.

Friday Morning

0900 Romeo

The JAG BULLPEN

     Tiner appeared in the door of the conference room, his face grave. "Mac, you have a phone call. It's Nurse Robley at Bethesda." Mac nodded and went to take the call. A few minutes later she disconnected the phone, and dialed it again. She asked Admiral Morris to send Admiral Chegwidden to the JAG office immediately. He arrived within five minutes, panting from running up the stairs.

"Whar is it, Mac? I know you wouldn't call me out of court except for a genuine emergency."

"I need you to take Commander Rabb to Bethesda. It seems that his girlfriend lied."

"What do you mean?"

" I mean she decided not to have an abortion and didn't tell him. She was going to give it up for adoption and not tell him, and then discovered that due to the new law she couldn't do that." Harm had gone with her to the doctor, and his name was all over her paperwork. So, she decided to just dump the kid on Harm with no warning. She's in labor, I told her you would meet her and her lawyer at Bethesda and sign the papers."

Aj crossed to the door. Opening it, he said "Commander Rabb, could I see you a minute? He thought to himself - 'poor man - he has no idea his entire world is going to twist like the picture in a child's kaleidoscope before close of business today.'   


	7. Father's Joy, Sadness and Slumber

1640 Romeo

Friday Afternoon

The delivery nurse, a young woman named Natalie, read the monitor attached to Lisa. "It looks as though this was a false alarm. The contractions have stopped, her water hasn't broken." She turned to Harm. "You can take her home now."

A look of panic covered Lisa's features. What was Harm going to do to her? Harm merely nodded and said "I'll go get the car." Without looking at her again he walked out the door. Natalie helped Lisa into a wheelchair and rolled her around to the pick-up spot. Harm helped her into the passenger seat, still not uttering a word. He pulled out of the parking lot, heading for his apartment. 

Lisa meekly spoke up, "My stuff is at a hotel."

Harm responded with the first look she had gotten from him, his expression unreadable. "We need to get you into bed and resting. I'll send someone over to pick up your stuff." He said this quietly and firmly in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Okay," she said softly. 'Not that I will need it much longer,' she thought to herself.

1730 Romeo

Harm's Apartment

"Thanks, Brother. I owe you one" Sergei had come to the door to pick up Lisa's hotel key so he could retrieve her stuff. Lisa was now ensconced on the sofa bed watching the TV Clay had dropped off during the Angel Shark Investigation. As soon as Sergei had left, Harm walked over to the TV and turned it off. "We need to talk. Why didn't you tell me you had decided to keep the baby?"  

"I didn't want to hurt you any more. But I couldn't just let you not know, either way it turns out. The day before I went to have my first prenatal exam, my father called and said we needed to talk. He knew we were getting serious, and wanted to warn me about having children. I always knew my mother died when I was born. He told me she had a rare disorder that caused her to bleed to death during delivery. She found out about it while she was still pregnant, and could have ended the pregnancy and saved herself. When I found out that my mother had voluntarily given her life for me, how could I not give my baby the same chance? That's why I went away. The chances are about 75% that either the baby or I will die, Harm. And lately I am getting the feeling that I am the one who is going to die. So I brought her back to you to love."

Harm sunk to the couch beside her and gathered her into his arms. "Why didn't you tell me? We could have dealt with this together. We could have been together the last few months, instead of grieving on our own."

"Like I said, I didn't want to hurt you any more. If I had told you she was still alive and she was the one who didn't make it, it would have ripped open wounds that are just starting to heal. I would have just let you go on hating me, and picked up the pieces and gone on. But as I also said, I am getting these vibes that it is going to be me. I felt sure enough that I brought her to you. I can't believe my lawyer told you what he did. I'm going to fire him if it's the last thing I do."

"And I am going to marry you. Whichever one of you doesn't make it is going to be buried with my last name." His face carried the same mulish expression it had worn in the car.

"When?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. The courthouse opens at eight, unless you'd rather pick up a license and get married somewhere else. There is no time to get a church, unless Chaplain Turner will marry us."

"I'd like that if we can swing it."

"I'll go call him now."

Saturday Morning

1100 Romeo

Arlington Cemetery Chapel

"Dearly Beloved." Reverend Turner opened the ceremony with the familiar greeting. Harm and Lisa stood before the altar, Harm in his dress blues and Lisa in a winter white maternity dress that Harriet had bought to wear for Christmas Eve. The small chapel was packed to the gills with all of the JAG staff and their families, some hastily called D.C. friends of Lisa's, and their families. They had called their families right after calling Rev. Turner, and Frank had flown the Lear out of the hangar an hour and a half later. They made a brief stop in St. Louis to pick up Lisa's father and another pilot, so Frank could join Trish in the back of the plane and get some shut-eye.

The ceremony was short as Lisa couldn't be on her feet for long. There was a lunch reception graciously provided by the Admiral's Wives Club, led by Mrs. Sheffield. Then Harm and Lisa went home to enjoy the precious time they had left together.

1200 Romeo

Wednesday Morning

Arlington Cemetery

The memorial service for Loren Singer having been concluded, Harm flipped open his cell phone to check on Lisa. She had insisted she would be fine alone for an hour or two, but he wasn't taking any chances. When there was no answer, he began to panic. He hit the button to check his messages and found one from a hysterical Tiner. 

" Mrs. Rabb called, she is in labor. I know your cell is turned off, so I am going to go get her and take her to Bethesda. Meet us there as soon as you can." Harm quickly told the rest of the group what was going on, and then left for the hospital. 

Bethesda Maternity Ward

1255 Romeo

The car rounded the corner  into the hospital parking lot on two wheels. He slammed the door without bothering to stop and lock it. "The one time I am truly in a hurry and there is a five car pileup." 

Harm arrived at the delivery room door, having quickly changed into the scrubs that the nurse had thrown at him. Lisa smiled at him from her bed, and then winced as another contraction hit. Jason Tiner winced as well, from the huge amount of pressure she was using as she gripped his hand. He assuaged his pain by eyeing the nurse. Natalie was on  duty again, and he couldn't help but admire her figure as she bent over to retrieve the washcloth she had dropped after wiping Lisa's sweaty forehead. 

Lisa was holding her own, at least for now. The doctor came in; he was the same specialist that had delivered the twins the week before. "The baby's vitals are excellent. There is a 90% certainty she will be fine."

"And Lisa?" Harm ventured.

"We won't know until the baby gets out and the placenta separates. If she starts to bleed out, then it is over. There is no way to stop it once it starts, although we will try." Harm nodded quietly and took Jason's place next to Lisa.

The next few hours were uneventful. Then the contractions began to come closer and closer together - way too fast. Lisa had a look of panic on her face. A minute later the doctor said, "Here she comes. Come down here and get ready, Commander." 

Harm nodded to Tiner, who went into the hall to see if the rest of the group was there. The admiral came into the room when he returned, stating. "I sent the others home. No matter what happens, you don't need a crowd." He moved up to the head of the bed and took Lisa's hand, motioning to Tiner to take the other side. 

The doctor pressed the call button. "We're getting close in here. Get the rest of the team ready, and pray that we don't need you."

At 2102 a tiny baby girl entered the world. Her mother pronounced, "Abigail. Abigail means "Father's Joy. I picked it out months ago.""

Harm swallowed deeply, trying to restrain his tears. "What about a middle name?" he finally managed to choke out.

"You can pick."

 "Diane."

"Abigail Diane. 'Father's Joy Devine.' It's perfect." Suddenly a look of horror crossed her face. "It's happening, isn't it."

The doctor nodded. "I'm afraid so." He hit the button again. "get the team in here, NOW."

Lisa beckoned Harm to her side. "I love you. Take care of our little girl for me. And promise me that you won't shut yourself off. Grieve all you need, but then go on. Abby needs a mother down here. too. You take care of her here, and I'll watch from above. And I'll look after any others you have, too."   She squeezed his hand and they sat quietly for a second. 

The room was suddenly full of doctors, forcing the rest of them back from the bed. They worked furiously for about ten minutes until suddenly they stilled. A quiet voice said "Call it. Time of death, 2221." 

Harm sat by the bed and held Lisa's hand, while AJ went to call Jeff. Harm rose, kissed Lisa's forehead and then pulled the sheet over her face. Then he went in search of Abigail. Nurse Robley met them at the end of the hall. "I was just going to come find you." She led them to a small room, and a second later Harriet Roberts emerged. 

Seeing Harm's confused look, she said simply, "Tiner called me. I just got the cutest photo. Go see before they wake up. I brought a baby outfit and I can take pictures when she wakes up. Becky and Bobbie have the announcements covered, " Harm hugged her and then tiptoed into the room, which was the small lounge they had used when the twins were born. In the overstuffed chair sat Tiner, Natalie snuggled in his lap. Baby Abigail was snoozing in her arms, with Jason's arm around both of them.  

"They are going to make a cute couple. I'm glad I will be out of the JAG office by Valentine's Day. There's going to be so much romance in the air you could choke. Natalie and Jason and Jen and Jeff, Sturgis and Bobbie, Bud and Harriet are always lovey-dovey and I think Chloe is coming." AJ had come up behind him.

"Jeff and Jen? When did that happen? Harm questioned softly, not wanting to wake the sleeping trio.

" I don't know, but she answered Jeff's phone at 2300, sounding rather sleepy. They're on their way here." Harriet re-entered the room, with a toy from the 24 hr. gift shop. She was closely followed by the topics of their gossip. They sat down and began to plan Lisa's funeral. When Nurse Robley arrived to take Abby to the nursery, she found all of them fast asleep.


	8. Meredith's Farewell Dinner

Disclaimer: I own the following characters: Kathy Robley, Jeff Robley, Isabelle and Amelia Chegwidden, Abigail Rabb, and Ellie Roberts. The rest belong to CBS/Viacom.  
  
Acknowledgements:  
  
Sonnet 18, Hamlet,by William Shakespeare The Cat who... Series by Lillian Jackson Braun To The Virgins, To Make Much of Time by Robert Herrick Chorale by Margaret Blackburn for the women of Sigma Alpha Iota Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin  
  
1700 Romeo January 25 The Shakespeare Club  
  
Harriet placed the last arrangement of ivy and pink roses on the table. All 25 tables had matching arrangements, except for the buffet table which had a garland of ivy around the edge. 'This looks more like a wedding reception than a memorial dinner,' Harriet thought to herself. 'But every last detail is the way she wanted it.'  
  
Bud was pacing the floor practicing the monologue from Hamlet that Meredith had requested he read that evening. He had helped her with her Shakespeare summer camp the previous summer, as he had only been on limited duty half- days and the Admiral was trying to keep himself sane – so he send Bud to Meredith so she'd quit calling him every half-hour asking him a question about the University's new computer system. 'to die, to sleep, to sleep, perchance to dream...ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come...' He was interrupted by the arrival of the Brumby clan. Becky and Zach came in first, with Mic following behind supporting their VERY pregnant mother.  
  
Harm followed them carrying his guitar case and a diaper bag belonging to the Chegwidden twins. He still couldn't really grasp the fact that tomorrow morning he would be bringing home a baby of his own. Nurse Robley had volunteered to give him baby lessons in addition to the new dad course he had signed up for at the hospital. Harriet had signed Bud and little AJ up for the Father/Son bonding class, and Mac had signed up AJ. He wasn't technically a first time dad, but it had been 26 years since Francesca had been born. Plus that way the women would have one night a week kid free. They had designated that as a girls' night.  
  
The Admiral called out from behind Harm, "Commander, can you open this door? I can't juggle the front pack, Ellie's diaper bag, hold AJ's hand and open the door, too." Harm complied, and AJ pushed the stroller into a quiet corner out of the way. The stroller was the latest in stroller technology, one of those where the pumpkin seat snapped into the frame till they were big enough to sit in the seat. This one was a double seater to accommodate the twins, who were at the moment napping.  
  
An hour later all of the JAG clan was assembled, and the hall was full of Meredith's friends, colleagues and former college friends. Mac was womanning the guestbook, and everyone else was in their assigned place inside the hall. AJ opened with a toast. "To the light of my life, and a dear friend to all- I here give thanks for the life of Meredith Jane Cavanaugh Chegwidden." They all raised their glasses in salute, and then the floor was opened to toasts.  
  
Professor Selvaggio, her colleague from the University of Bologna, opened the floor toasts, followed by the SecNav, Harm, Mic, Bud, her college roommate , her fraternity guiding star, and finally Mac: "Two years ago next month, I stood by Meredith's side as she married my CO. Since that time, she has become a dear friend, and more of a sister to me than I ever thought possible." She then drained her glass and turned it upside down, ending the toasts.  
  
Bud rose and read the monologue from Hamlet, and then while Harm got his guitar out and tuned it, AJ read a poem by Robert Herrick. She had adopted it as her "birthday poem" after reading a mystery novel by L.J. Braun, in which the main characters all had birthday poems.  
  
GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,  
  
Old Time is still a-flying:  
  
And this same flower that smiles to-day  
  
To-morrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,  
  
The higher he's a-getting,  
  
The sooner will his race be run,  
  
And nearer he's to setting. That age is best which is the first,  
  
When youth and blood are warmer;  
  
But being spent, the worse, and worst  
  
Times still succeed the former. Then be not coy, but use your time,  
  
And while ye may, go marry:  
  
For having lost but once your prime,  
  
You may for ever tarry. Harm played his guitar, playing and singing Meredith favorite sonnet set to music:  
  
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate:  
  
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,  
  
And summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,  
  
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,  
  
And every fair from fair sometime declines,  
  
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:  
  
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,  
  
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st, Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,  
  
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,  
  
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,  
  
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.  
  
Meredith's fraternity sisters stood, moving towards the table at the front of the room. In the midst of the flowers was a pillow on which reposed Meredith's fraternity pin. One of the sisters removed it from the table and handed it to little AJ to hold. They circled around it holding hands and began to sing:  
  
Daughters of a great and singing nation,  
  
Let your voices rise in dedication,  
  
Music tells unspoken noble creeds;  
  
Music beautifies the simplest deeds;  
  
Sing we now to Sigma Alpha Iota.  
  
Sing the greatness of the soul and spirit,  
  
Sing the joy of peace and friendship's merit,  
  
Music is a kind and truthful speech;  
  
In a language out of mere word's reach,  
  
Sing we now to Sigma Alpha Iota.  
  
The sisters took the pin from the pillow and replaced it with a red rose. There were many performances of Shakespeare, Meredith's favorite music and more throughout the evening. Finally, one of the sisters sat down and played Meredith's favorite piano piece, Rhapsody in Blue. Little AJ was mesmerized by how fast her fingers flew across the keys.  
  
The rest of the evening was unstructured, and while some drifted away, other people sat around and told Meredith stories until the early hours of the morning. AJ finally moved to the front of the room and paraphrased Shakespeare:  
  
"Goodnight, my love, may flights of Angels sing the to thy rest." 


	9. Babies, The Monster Under the Bed and Sh...

Sorry it has taken so long to update, but I finally got a day off school to write. I'll try to be better, and summer is coming (  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply  
  
********** January 16, 2004 1100 Romeo Arlington National Cemetery  
  
The JAG crew and the Rabb/Burnett families filed silently from the chapel to the gravesite of Lisa Marie Simmons Rabb. The last notes of music had faded away, and the only sound was the crunching of their snow boots on the frozen ground. The casket was lowered, and Rev. Turner lifted the first shovel of dirt. "Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust..." Harm then placed three roses in the hole, one red and two pink.  
  
The others stood back to give him a private moment, and then he turned away. They all trooped back up the hill to the church to claim their offspring, where the Admirals' Wives had prepared the funeral lunch.  
  
*********** One Week Later January 23, 2004 The Roberts Residence 0300 Romeo  
  
"Knock, WAAAAAAAAIIIILLL!!!!! Knock, Knock! WAHHHH!!!" The hesitant tapping on the door woke Harriet from her spot in the recliner, where she had dozed off while nursing Ellie. She quickly covered herself and headed towards the door. On the other side stood a frantic looking AJ Chegwidden with two decidedly unhappy babies in his arms.  
  
Harriet quickly ushered him in, saying, "I'll be right back, I'm going to try to get Ellie back to bed. If the twins wake her it will take forever to get her down again." With that she disappeared up the stairs, reappearing a moment later and taking one of the twins.  
  
"I can't get them to calm down, I've tried everything!" Can you help me figure out what's wrong with them? The neighbors called the landlady and complained about the noise, so I had to get them out of there."  
  
Harriet responded by wrinkling her nose at the twin she was holding. "I don't need to see, I can smell. Excuse us a minute, please!" She grabbed the diaper bag from AJ and headed towards the table. Spreading out the travel change pad, she made quick work of the diaper and got a fresh one on.  
  
"I think I know what their problem is. Did you change formulas recently?"  
  
AJ looked astounded "Yes, the store suddenly quit carrying the brand I usually buy."  
  
"The change is upsetting their tummies. What type did you use and what brand did you switch to?"  
  
"I had Carnation Good Start for Newborns, I just started using Similac."  
  
"I have some Carnation upstairs in case of emergency. Be right back."  
  
Harriet quickly made up two bottles from the powder and handed one to AJ. Both twins were soon contentedly suckling and falling quickly asleep. Harriet and AJ talked as the babies ate, and it was decided that he would move in with them for awhile, and they would as Mac to move in as well. They could put the Brumbys in Mac's Room, Becky in the other bedroom and Zach on the couch. They put the now sleeping twins in the downstairs bassinet, and Harriet showed AJ to the downstairs guest room. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.  
  
*********** Jan 18th 1330 Romeo Bud and Harriet's House 2nd Floor Guestroom  
  
"O.K. Girls, settle in, your litterpan is in the bathroom, your water bowl is downstairs in the kitchen, and Chowtime is at 1600." Mac addressed the occupants of the cat carrier as she undid the latch. KitKat immediately tried to get under the bed, but as they had put stuff under there, she headed out the door in search of somewhere to hide. Kamikaze was not as subtle and expressed her displeasure at the change of address by hacking up a hairball into Bud's uniform shoe.  
  
Mac headed downstairs to help the admiral unpack. "Mac, are you free to go shopping in the morning ? These girls need more clothes!"  
  
"Sure, AJ. We can go after lunch if that's o.k. I have to go in to the office in the morning, I take over full JAG duty on Monday, you know."  
  
"Mama! There's a monster under my bed, and it bit me when I tried to get my truck, AJ wailed, showing his mother the red marks on his hand.  
  
"I don't think that was a monster, AJ. Let's go look. Harriet retrieved some of the cat treats from the can on the counter and headed to AJ's room. Sure enough, there was a cat under the bed.  
  
Jan 20th, 2004 Bud & Harriet's House 1900 Romeo  
  
The entire JAG crew had gathered at Harriet's house for dinner. All of the adults were sitting around the dining room table talking about the turns some of their lives had taken recently. Next to Bud & Harriet were Mac and Webb, (who had finally recovered from his ordeal in Paraguay enough to leave the rehab facility) Jen and Jeff, Tiner and Natalie, Mic and Sydney ( she wasn't actually at the table, she was on the couch, with Kamikaze snoozing on top of her huge pregnant tummy) Sturgis and Bobbie were cozily cuddled together. AJ was paired with Webb's mother, who had insisted on coming with him for his first excursion out of the house since his return from rehab. Rounding out the circle was Harmon Rabb, with Kamikaze in his lap.  
Sydney was almost two weeks past her due date, and if she didn't deliver by the end of the week, the baby would be delivered by C-section. The babies were all in the living room where AJ was watching The Lion King 1 ½ under the supervision of the Brumby teenagers.  
  
I don't know what I'm going to do," Natalie said. "Jason's going away on Sea Duty and wants us to get married before he goes. I know we won't be able to afford a church wedding like I've always dreamed of, but it's enough just getting married. But if we do that, where am I going to live? I can't afford my own apartment and my roommates probably wouldn't appreciate Jason staying over."  
  
Harriet nodded. "We haven't told anyone yet, but Bud and I have to find a new place as well. I had a fight with my mother, and she stopped paying the mortgage and didn't tell Bud and I until a collection agent banged on the door. We found out yesterday that we have 90 days to be out. My dad is giving us some money on the sly, but I don't know where we are going to go. It's probably going to be an apartment, at least for awhile. AJ's going to be heartbroken that he can't get the puppy we promised him for his birthday."  
  
Porter Webb, who had been listening contemplatively and not saying anything, suddenly spoke up very forcefully. "AJ's going to have that puppy, and Natalie, you and Jason are going to have the wedding of your dreams. You are all coming to live with me, at least for the time being. I know how it is being married and being apart, and in your case, Harriet, it's personal. You see, you should have been my child." 


	10. Porter's Revenge, the Blizzard and Mrs B...

From Chapter 9….  
Porter Webb, who had been listening contemplatively and not saying anything, suddenly spoke up very forcefully. "AJ's going to have that puppy, and Natalie, you and Jason are going to have the wedding of your dreams. How does the Naval Academy Chapel Sound?" 

Jason and Natalie gasped as Porter barged on.

 You are all coming to live with me, at least for the time being. I know how it is being married and being apart, and in your case, Harriet, it's personal. You see, you should have been my child."

********

"WHAT!?" Exclaimed Clay and Harriet at the exact same moment. 

"I'll tell you all about it, every sordid detail." Porter promised.

"When I was just a young lady, not long after my coming out party, I met a very dashing man by the name of Roland Sims. We dated for several years, as my mother insisted I finish my studies at a private women's college and then an exclusive French finishing school. I made the mistake of asking him to come as my escort to the final dance…and letting him meet my classmates. Lydia Beaumont set her sights on him, and what Lydia wants, she takes, no matter the cost to her or anyone else.

I was in an extremely rebellious stage at the time, and I figured, we're getting married in less than a month. The society columns were all aflutter…a wedding between the Sims and Muhlholland families… What would I wear? Who would I choose as my attendants? I have all the clippings in my scrapbook. You have to see them to believe them. To make a long story short, dears, by the end of the weekend I was pregnant with Clayton."

"WHAT!?" (Webb)

"But that would mean…?" (Bud)

"I have a Brother?" (Harriet)

 Everyone spoke at once, and Porter raised her hand for silence.

"It was, of course a great scandal at the time. My parents were fully ready to send me away until the baby was born and put up for adoption. Fortunately, love intervened. The rumors were flying around the social set, and one Sunday morning a young man waited until my parents left for church and snuck up to the house. We had dated all the way back in high school, before I met Roland. His name was Neville Webb."

Porter paused. " That's why I named you after him, Clayton. He had carried a torch for me all that time. My parents were furious that we had been there all afternoon without a chaperone. They obviously thought we had been 'intimate' as the euphemism was at the time. That morning I fell back in love with him. We were 'intimate' all right, but not in the way my parents thought. Halfway through his proposal I threw up on his shoes. He held my head over the toilet, kept my hair out of the way… I found his tender caring for me intoxicating, especially since it seemed that nobody loved me right then.

My parents were shocked when Neville informed them he wanted to marry me. You see, one of his missions had left him unable to produce children. He would get me and an heir in the bargain. His grandparents didn't like their daughter's choice in mates, so they put the money in trust for their future grandchildren – half payable on the occasion of their wedding, the other with the birth of the couple's first child. My parents married me off to him the next weekend, the same day I was to have married Roland." She turned to Harriet. "Didn't you ever wonder why you didn't grow up in Boston with the Beaumonts or Virginia with the Sims clan? Your parents were completely ostracized for what they did. The legend of our family is, that if the man completely loves you, you will have a girl… I'm sure if Neville could have found a way, you would have a sister." 

Harriet unexpectedly started to cry. "That's why AJ was a boy, then… because Bud and I were almost separated at the time."

"Dear, if things like that didn't happen, the world would die out for lack of men. You had two girls after that- you've made up for it. We seem to be a really loving family. If Sydney has a girl, it will be a sweep with this round. Are you going to keep up the tradition of Australian city names?"

Sydney spoke from her nest on the couch. "We know we are having a girl, and yes. She'll be Adelaide Mackay Brumby. Sorry, we couldn't find any cities named Mackenzie! And Sarah was out – out of respect for Harriet." 

Harm interrupted, mystified. "What about Becky's name? What's the city connection?"

"Middle Name, Mate. Victoria."

Harriet nodded. "Go on, Porter, please. I'm sorry I interrupted. What happened after the wedding?"  

 Porter smiled. We spent our honeymoon in New York City, seeing plays and musicals, and since the doctor had told me I must walk every day, we had our choice of public parks. I loved him so much. I still do." She put her head down as a single tear slipped slowly down her cheek. Harriet jumped up and went to her, and the two women embraced. "Go stand over by Clayton, dear. I've waited years to see if you look alike." 

Porter smiled yet again. "You do look a lot alike. And so you see, my dear, why it will give me great pleasure to help you annoy the living daylights out of your mother. Neville and I had plans for a much bigger house than we have. We planned on adopting as many children as we could, but the CIA refused to allow that. The original plan for the house called for it to go all the way around the fountain garden out back. I think it's time to make that dream a reality."

Clay interrupted -" so that's why you wouldn't let anyone build anything there – even my playhouse when I was little. You still hoped that someday you would finish the house."

"Yes, dear. You are finally going to have the siblings I always wanted for you, and I am going to have a full house. Maybe by the time you are able to leave on a mission again, you will have been able to get Mac pregnant so I can have a grandbaby?" She asked hopefully.

"We'll see what we can do." Clay said, while knowing that it would never happen.

 Many hours had passed, and Becky Brumby had put little AJ to bed and crashed on the couch herself.  Suddenly a superman pajama clad AJ burst into the dining room. "MAMA! MAMA!"

"What is it, AJ?" Harriet asked, thinking he must have had a bad dream or needed to go potty.

"It's SNOWING! I saw it out my window when I woke up! It's all white outside! Can we go sledding?"

Harriet ran to the window. "Guess we are going to see if we are all compatible living with one another, because nobody's going anywhere in this blizzard." She turned from the window and headed towards the TV. 

The weatherman said " The worst blizzard to hit Washington in 50 years is fast approaching, folks. All roads are closed, and everyone should stay inside and conserve food and fuel, because you will be stuck for several day. Upwards of 3 feet of snow are predicted, and almost a foot has already fallen. ^^^^^"

The TV static buzzed to a stop, and the lights went out. About that moment an anguished moan was heard from the vicinity of the couch "I know this is a really bad time, but I think we are going to see some baby action tonight." Sydney's voice was deadly calm.


End file.
